Trial By Marriage
by M. Elizabeth Ravensblood
Summary: While engaged, Sam had an affair. Chloe is sick now and only her true father can save her. But at what cost. Skewed Romance.
1. Default Chapter

Sam hung up her phone in her office and began to cry. It took a lot to make her cry. Usually it was Jack that caused her tears, today it was her daughter Chloe, or rather Chloe's pediatrician. For the past couple of weeks Chloe hadn't wanted to eat and slept all the time. Initally Sam assumed her daughter was faking, that it was nerves or stress from having to be taken to school by FBI agents, but the doctor just told her otherwise. Chloe had leukemia and it was critical that she begin treatment right away. It was advanced enough that chemo may help for a little bit, but the doctor said bone marrow would be the only way Chloe had any real chance of survival.

"Oh God please!" Samantha sobbed.

Never in her life had she felt more scared or alone. However, unbeknowst to Sam, Jack had hacked back into the VCTF and was watching her breakdown. In his lair, Jack grabbed a vase of roses and threw it. He couldn't bear for his Samantha to suffer. Calming he realized there was a way he could help his Samantha, but she wasn't going to like it. This was one card Jack hadn't wanted to play, but now there would be no choice and his Sam would come to him on his terms. A smile began to play on his thin sensual lips as he began typing madly on his keyboard.

Sam forced herself to stop crying and squared her shoulders. She could do this, she could be strong for her daughter, but being strong was so hard today. Dabbing her tears and taking a moment to fix her makeup, Sam rose from her desk and walked out into the command center.

"Bailey, I need to speak to you."

"We can talk in my office," Bailey responded.

Entering the office, Sam sat down and then stood up and started pacing.

"Bail, I need sometime off."

"Sure Sam, after this case I can-"

"No! Now!" she replied sharply and then softly added, "I need the time now."

Coming around from his desk, he lightly put an arm on her shoulder, "What's wrong? Has Jack?"

"No," Samantha laughed bitterly. "For once something isn't about Jack. It's Chloe, she- she has leukemia and I need to be with my baby."

"Oh God Sam, of course anything you need, day or night."

"Thanks Bailey," she forced a smile and blinked back crystal tears in her eyes.

" Is there anything I can do?"

"Just clear a couple weeks for me and pray to God I'm a match for her."

"I'll stop by in the next day or so to see how you're doing."

When she arrived home, Samantha gave her daughter a tight hug and held on as if she could hold onto her life's essence. Chloe, just giggled and wanted to show her mother the drawing she'd made earlier. She was so happy and innocent, Sam just couldn't tell her yet. Let her daughter have even one or two more days of peace before she had to face the disease. Besides, she had to figure out how to tell her daughter she may not see age nine. For now she would keep it to herself and tell Angel after Chlo was asleep.

Jack sat at his monitor and read through Chloe's medical reports. Quickly he raced through her blood cell counts and lingered at her blood type. As he suspected, this would be something only he could fix and he would at any cost. He flicked his attention momentarily to another monitor where Sam's bedroom was onscreen and she was drying tears from her eyes again before going out to the living room and proposing pizza and a movie to her daugter.

"Perfect as always my darling Sam," Jack nodded at the screen and spoke to it. "Take our girl out and distract her. Just leave everything to Jack."

He stood up and walked to his phonograph and began flipping through his records. Grabbing one and placing it on the turntable strains of "Someone To Watch Over Me" filled his lair. Jack went back to his computer singing softly along with the words altered to fit his watching over his Samantha.

Grabbing a cigarette, he started to light it and then stopped, "Damn. Going to have give these up."

Picking up a cheeto instead, Jack licked it suggestively looking at a picture of Samantha beside his computer, " But for anything."

Going back to work on his computer, Jack paused again. He'd wolfed down three cheetos in rapid succession and was reaching for a fourth. At this rate he was going to have to double his ab crunches or he wouldn't need false padding. Pushing away from his computer he decided maybe he needed to go out.

Pulling on a black leather trenchcoat and gloves, "Better get some nicotine patches. Maybe I'll stop and have dinner with my girls."

Heading to the door, he stopped and picked up his bag, " Maybe after dinner I can get a little exercise. No signing my work tonight, Sam dear I know you aren't up for our game."


	2. 2

Chapter 2

Samantha put Chloe to bed after returning from their evening together. She told Angel and held her while she cried. Then Sam phoned Tom's parents, the doctor told her to find out their blood types. No point in running the tests on both of them if one was incompatible. They were upset and offered to do all they could. At least Sam didn't have to worry about them trying to take custody of Chloe again. Even though she knew it was wicked, she felt pleased when they found out that they had been on Jack's hit list. Wicked Samantha, she berated herself. How her stalker would love to know that one!

God, there I go again! Every day all day and every night all night, it's Jack this and Jack that! Sam scolded herself. Sometimes Sam could hardly remember what she ever did or thought about before he came into her life. Was there every really a time before Jack? She wasn't looking forward to trying to balance Chloe's illness with her stalker. I wonder if Jack would consider a time out? Sam giggled to herself. She could just imagine bargaining for that one, I'll give you a topless photo for 2 months peace!

Sam wondered briefly how long Chlo's illness would remain a secret from Jack of All Trades. Probably not long given his track record. Sometimes she almost wished she had his cell number to call him for her schedule, he seemed to know it better than she did! How am I going to talk to Chloe about this? Angel isn't great at keeping secrets, so I won't have much time to put this off and she has a right to know. Samanatha went to bed and cried herself into an exhausted dreamless sleep.

The next morning, Sam put up a cheerful front for Chloe who was having a good enough day she was able to go to school. Her daughter having a good day rallied her a little, but today's visit to the hospital would be so important and there was little else Samantha could focus on. Angel wished her luck as she headed out the door. She hoped for the best as she climbed into her SUV and drove to the hospital.

It was early wasn't too long. Sam sat in a waiting area and read a newspaper as she waited for a lab technician to take her blood sample. Splashed across the front page was a murder scene, it was speculated that it was a Jack copycat, it was his style, but there were no roses or uv ink messages to her. God can't I ever get away from work and death! Samantha shook her head and turned to the other less grisly stories of the day.

A little later a friendly lab tech called her back into the testing area and took a sample of her blood. Chloe's pediatrician had an office in another wing and would have the lab's analysis in about an hour. Sam went to the hospital cafeteria and got a cup of coffee. As she sat sipping her coffee, she looked around her and studied the people at the tables around the room. Usually Sam loved to people watch, but today she was too tense to let her interest be captured. The minutes seemed to drag by, a clock on the wall seemed to be ticking thundersouly to Samantha's ears. When it was at last a reasonable time to head up to Dr. Forester's office, she had to restrain herself from running. She felt so anxious. Sam bit her lip and silently prayed on the elevator on the way up. After a brief wait in the doctor's reception room, Sam was shown back to his office

"Dr Waters," Dr. Forester greeted her affably and motioned for her to sit in a chair in front of his desk.

"Dr. Forester, am I a match?" Samantha held her breath.

"I'm sorry Dr. Waters, but you're not a compatible match. We may be able to find a donor among some of Chloe's other relatives. Yesterday you said you would call your husband's relatives and get their blood types."

Samantha was momentarily stunned with disappointment and then quickly got a piece of paper out of her purse and handed it to him, "Both of Tom's parents are willing to donate."

Dr. Forester gave Sam a reassuring smile and looked at the blood types listed and at Chloe's chart. For a moment he looked thoughtful and then sighed. This was going to be awkward.

"Dr. Waters, Samantha if I may? Was your husband adopted?" he asked gently.

"No. Why?"

"Samantha was Chloe conceived through insemination?" Dr. Forester prompted.

"No," she shook her head. "I don't understand. What's the problem?"

"Samantha, please don't take this the wrong way and understand that I'm in no way judging you, but this is important. Is there any chance Chloe was fathered by someone other than your husband?"

Oh God, Samantha groaned mentally. There was that one night. One night before she married Tom. The night she surrendered her virginity, but no! She had always assumed- It was for the best if- Years of pretending and living a lovely lie and because of one night, her beautiful daughter-

"Samantha? Dr. Waters? Are you all right?"

"Yes, sorry. My mind went for a moment. Um, let's just say it's possible what then?"

"Then we really need to track him down and if he's not a viable donor, I suggest looking into having another child to be a donor, ASAP."

"I can't-"

"Dr. Waters I sure if you just think about it."

"He's dead, " Sam replied bleakly.

For the remainder of the interview the doctor pretended to be upbeat and Samantha pretended to believe him. It was easier for both of them that way, but both knew the situation was not good. Samantha walked with a heavy heart into the elevator and took it down to the underground parking garage.

"I'm so sorry Chloe," she whispered on her way to her car.

Samantha was so upset she didn't hear the footsteps behind her.


	3. 3

Chapter 3

Unconscious, Sam leaned over and cuddled up to Jack's shoulder. She would have moved closer to him still in her drugged state; but he'd handcuffed her right hand to the door and then secured her left wrist and right together in another pair of cuffs. He hated doing this, but he needed to get her to listen to him and it would be nice to spend some time with his Samantha. As he drove out of the Atlanta city limits, he allowed himself to savour the warmth of her body next to his. Gently, Jack leaned over and kissed her forehead.

All these years of devotion gifting her with roses and playing their games, she was still his puzzle and he was hers. Drawing himself out of his reverie, Jack forced himself to focus on the road. He was transporting precious cargo and he drove with extra care. A smile crossed his face as he drove and he reached down to push the tape in the deck. In the car Jack liked tapes that he'd made from his records. He was probably the only hacker in the world with a rotary dial phone and a record player. Softly Jack sang along to "Night and Day" as he drove towards their destination. Sam roused slightly and nuzzled against his shoulder as she passed back out.

"Rest Samantha," Jack soothed gently and wrapped his arm around her, drawing her as close as her bonds would permit.

As he made the turnoff for their stop, Samantha started to wake up, and reluctantly Jack withdrew his arm. He knew as soon as Sam was alert she'd start yelling at him and he didn't want to add fuel to the fire. Normally he enjoyed her fire and fanned it happily, but this was important and he had to get her to hear him out. Sam sat upright and blinked slightly, confused from her drug induced stupor.

"What's going on? Who are you?" she demanded angrily and started pulling at her cuffs.

"Samantha darling, I'm hurt you don't recognize me," Jack purred sibilantly.

Samantha looked at him in horror as two things dawned on her. First that this was the face of Jack the man she'd once loved before he died and she'd grown to hate the associations of the name! And second and worse, that this was the voice of Jack of All Trades!

"Jack," she gasped in distress.

"At your service. Don't bother trying the door Sam dear, it only unlocks from the outside and I'm going too fast for you to try anything stupid."

"All these years of terrorizing me and the killing and disguises and it was you!?! You Bastard!" Sam screamed incredulously.

Jack smiled and replied in a sweet voice, "Now darling I seem to recall telling you my parents were married. Don't you remember that nice conversation we had on our second date?"

"Oh God," Samantha breathed and looked wildly about her. Panic and fear warred with grief and she just sat gasping.

"I seem to remember making you say that a quite a few times one magical night," Jack teased, curling his tongue seductively for a moment before returning his attention to the road.

"You cock sucker!" she cried out indignantly.

"Such naughty language Samantha," Jack scolded and added, "I seem to remember you doing that and quite well; but I can honestly say that's one thing I've never done."

Samantha opened her mouth to give him a scathing retort and fell silent. Nothing in all her years of training had prepared her for this. All these years of imaging what Jack might look like hadn't prepared her for this! Here was the man she had been ready to leave Tom at the altar for, whom she'd believed to be dead for the past 9 years. And of all people Jack could be Jack was JACK! A hysterical bubble of laughter escaped from her before she could stop herself.

Oh God, Jack, her Jack killed Tom and all those people. It was horrible and worse still some small part of her rejoiced that he had been alive all this time and thinking of her. This was awful! What the hell did he have planned? She had to get home to Chloe! Oh Christ Chlo! All these years of thinking Tom was her daddy and not only wasn't he, but the most infamous serial killer in modern history was her biological father! Could this day get any worse?

"Now my Sam when we get to the cabin, I'm going to give you your cell phone and you're going to call that annoying roommate of yours and tell her you won't be home tonight-"

"You son of a bitch! If you think I'm going to help you kidnap me, you've got another thing coming!"

"Finally on the scoreboard Samantha. Yes my mother is a bitch, but I would appreciate it if you watched the language. We have a daughter to think about."

"If you think for one minute I'm letting you near my daughter-" she growled.

They remained silent for a moment as they pulled up to a large cabin in a pretty clearing in the woods. Jack leaned over and began to release Sam's bonds.

"Our daughter Sam. Our baby needs her father or don't you care about her health?"

"You'll never be a father to her! And how do you know already?"

"When it comes to you and my daughter I'm always there Samantha. And I always will be. Now when we go inside the cabin, you will make a call to reassure your roommate and our daughter. This is a tricky situation and we have a lot to discuss. You know I would die before hurting you Samantha."

Jack got out of the car and went around to open Samantha's door. As she stepped out she looked at him and slapped him.

"Die before hurting me! How many times, how many ways have you hurt me?! You killed Tom and how many other people!?" Samantha cried out and then started sobbing. "And you flaunted that damn Sharon and you were dead and you-"

Jack held Samantha firmly in his arms and kissed her into gasping silence.


	4. 4

Chapter 4

Samantha melted against the gentle assault of Jack's lips. In mere moments he made the world fall away and nothing else matter as he plundered her mouth with sensual abandon. Righteous outrage and fear burned underneath demanding lips as he held her tightly. Unaware of anything but a riot of sensation, Samantha began to kiss him back and press her body against his. Intense desire that had long laid dormant within her came screaming to the surface. Jack pulled his mouth away, satisfied by Samantha's response. Whether she was ready to admit it or not, she was his and always had been.

"I swear Samantha I will not harm you and will return you safely to your front door first thing in the morning."

Reality slowly seeped back as the veil of lust pulled away gently from Samantha. Though she knew she needed to focus and be alert, her body protested the loss of his warmth and firm body against hers. She needed to focus on Chloe, right now her daughter's life depended on her. Sam wasn't letting her daughter down.

"All right Jack. I'll call on the condition you return my gun and no more funny business," she informed him primly.

He shrugged as he told her, "As to your weapon you may have it, though it will do no good, I took the liberty of removing the bullets. I don't fancy being shot by you again. And as for kissing, you seemed to be a willing participant Samantha."

A blush stole across her face and Sam stammered, "I'm cold can we go in already."

Quietly Jack walked towards the cabin without looking back as if he didn't doubt for one moment Sam would follow. As they entered, he sat down his leather bag and pulled out Sam's gun and wordlessly handed it to her along with her handbag. She stuffed the gun into it's holder in her purse and fished around for her cell phone. Before dialing home, she looked at Jack expectantly, but he had busied himself lighting a fire in the hearth of the large sitting room.

"Angel, it's Sam," she spoke into the phone and then listened. "No, I'm not match, but there maybe someone from her father's side..."

For several moments, Sam listened and made murmured responses, "Angel, the reason I'm calling you up is I wondered if you could pick Chloe up from school today and watch her tonight."

As Angel asked questions, Sam concocted an excuse, "The doctor put me in contact with several families who have gone through what we're going through. I'm meeting several of them this afternoon and-"

She trailed off unable to think of how to explain her overnight absence. She was saved as Jack scrawled quickly on a piece of paper and held it up. It said 'Carruthers Leukemia Benefit in Philadelphia.'

"Angel, I'm going to the Carruthers Leukemia Benefit in Philadelphia with a couple of families so I can meet some people and learn more to help Chloe," she lied smoothly with Jack's aid.

"Yea I'm going to stay in a hotel in Philly. Not sure which one yet, I'll see what's available. Jack? No I honestly don't think I'll have to worry about Jack. I'm pretty sure he won't know where I am. Give my love to Chloe, if I get in before she goes to bed I'll call her, otherwise give her my love. Uh-huh, bye," Sam shut her cell off and put it back in her purse.

"Carruthers Leukemia Benefit? Is that even a real event?" Sam asked Jack as he wobbled the paper up in his leather clad hands and threw it away.

"Carruthers is one of the aliases I've used before and we're talking about our daughter. Seemed as good an excuse as any,"he shrugged carelessly moving into the kitchen area and starting a pot of coffee. "If you're worried Sam, I can log into the VCTF's computer system and create an electronic trail for an alibi for you."

Sam shook her head and sunk down on the sofa in front of the fireplace. She stared numbly into the flames. The last two days had been two much for her, between Chloe and Jack it was more than one woman could bear. Her baby was the love child of the most vicious serial killer in modern history and know she had to convince said killer to help save their child. Tears silently coursed down Samantha's cheeks as emotion knotted in her throat.

Watching Sam cry up close was a new experience for Jack. He had watched her cry from afar on numerous occasions. Usually he felt anger at whoever caused the tears and found a way to eliminate them, but this was an unseen enemy and there was nothing and no one for him to fight. Cautiously he removed his gloves, walked to the sofa and sat beside her. First Jack put an arm around her, then when Sam didn't push him away he gathered her in his arms and held her close. Gentle tears changed to great hiccupping sobs as Samantha buried her face in Jack's chest. Cradling his beloved Samantha to his heart, Jack slowly rocked back and forth murmuring wordlessly in a soothing tone.

Minutes later as her sobbing subsided, Sam opened her eyes and looked up at Jack. Tears sparkling in her now red eyes and her nose now red and running, she was still the most beautiful sight Jack had ever beheld. He shifted slowly and reached into his back pocket and pulled out a french linen handkerchief. Sam accepted his offering and blew her nose in the rose scented fabric. She'd intended to blow softly, but instead her nose trumpeted loudly. Jack burst out laughing and kissed her forehead.

"Not funny you jerk," she muttered.

Jack scowled down at his formerly pristine shirt that now had most of Samantha's eyemakeup on it and said, "You're right it's not that was a $200 shirt."

For a moment Samantha stared in disbelief and then realized he was teasing. She tried to look offended and he tried to look upset, both failed miserably and wound up laughing until they both had tears running from their eyes. Jack reluctantly pulled away from Samantha and started stripping his ruined shirt off. Then he went into the kitchenette and poured two mugs of steaming coffee and dashed cream into each. Jack handed one to Samantha who was feeling disconcerted by the expanse of smooth muscular chest before her.

Desperate to say something before he noticed her staring, she uttered, "You didn't used to take your coffee that way."

"I started drinking it the same way you drank yours so I could be closer to you."

"Jack, I don't know what you hope to accomplish with this little get together, but it's not going to bring us closer or make me stop trying to capture you."

Jack remained silent and studied her and a flurry of questions welled from Sam's mouth, "Where were you? Why didn't you tell me you weren't dead? Why did you kill Tom and Coop?"

A bitter smile played about Jack's cruel lips as he sighed, "I was in hell Samantha, initially because of Tom's stupidity, reprieved by the mercy of God and then cast back in by you."


	5. 5

Author's Note, This is a Chapter I accidentally never got uploaded. Chapter 6 got marked as Chapter 5, Rather Than Reupload, I'm adding this and calling it and the previous Chapter 5 is going to be 5.5. Sorry for the mix up, the story makes more sense this way.

Chapter 5

Samantha had been two months away from marrying Tom, when Jack walked into her life. She was beginning her training as a profiler and attending a variety of lectures on abnormal psychology. Sam had signed up for a month long course taught by Dr. Jackson Steele. Jackson Steele was a legend in the making within the bureau. He was the youngest field agent and profiler in bureau history and rumored to be up for the director position of the state of California when the present director retired next year. Sam was so excited that such a respected profiler was coming to Quantico and that she would get to learn from him.

Tom was already an agent and had just been called away on an assignment, so Sam was quite alone when she went to class on her first day with Dr. Steele. In truth she was a little relieved to have Tom gone, he kept pressuring her more and more about consummating their relationship as the wedding date approached. Born into a strict religious family, Sam had been raised on lectures about no sex until after marriage and she didn't feel right about sleeping with Tom. Up until recently he had been understanding, but the closer the wedding got the more he began to whine and claim that they were as good as married. Sometimes she had doubts about getting married, but the invitations were already sent and everyone kept telling her how lucky she was. If only she felt so very lucky!

Walking into the lecture room, Samantha was decked out in her most severe suit and starched white blouse. The bureau was largely male dominated and she had to work twice as hard as most of the male agents. All around her the men in the class wore everything from suits to FBI sweats and they chatted about women and sports, effectively excluding the shy blonde girl. It hurt, but she wasn't going to let that get to her. Samantha picked up the novel she carried with her and started reading it, holding it in front of her as if it were a shield.

Jackson Steele or Jack as he preferred to be called strolled into the class and internally sneered at the students. Most of them were so wet behind the ears it was a wonder they didn't need their mothers to change them still. As they began to notice him, they looked with a combination of awe and resentment. Jack flaunted the unspoken rule of acceptable FBI attire and wore an ivory suit with a pale blue tie. From the cut of his suit to the shine of his sandy hair and the scent of his cologne, everything about Jack whispered old money and culture. They looked at the pages in their books and convinced themselves they could see into the darkest reaches of the human psyche. These boyscouts hadn't the first clue about darkness. If they saw the darkness Jack had inside him they would probably run screaming.

Jack's expression softened slightly as he saw Samantha. Her body language screamed how isolated she felt. She was so absorbed in her book she was trying to protect herself with that she hadn't noticed Jack's arrival. The sun was gleaming off her hair that was tumbling loose from it's businesslike topknot. She looked like and angel to Jack, pure and a beautiful. Snickers echoed throughout the class at Samantha.

"Head out of your ass Anderson!" a young man with an already receding hairline shouted behind her and smacked her on the back of the head.

It took every last drop of control Jack had not to snap the boy's neck on the spot. How dare he speak that way to this goddess let alone lay a hand on her! He clenched his fists until his nails left crescents on his palms and focused on calming down. Samantha looked up and blushed furiously. Jack's breath caught in his throat as he beheld her face for the first time. She was beautiful to be sure, but what drew Jack in was the fire within her eyes. Embarrassment was fighting the emotion to be sure, but there was the icy spark that was the same barely restrained fury. At that moment, Jack knew she was his, that this was a princess for him to live and die for.

Jack got down on his knees beside her desk, mentally pledging lifelong fealty to his golden goddess but said aloud, "Miss Anderson, may I ask what you're reading?"

Shyly Sam ducked her head and handed him the book, then barely above a whisper said, "You may call me Sam."

Jack looked at the cover of the book momentarily and was pleasantly surprised to find it was one of his favorites. "Richard Bach is my favorite author Samantha, maybe we can discuss him sometime."

Then Jack stood up and walked to the lectern that sat on top of the desk and got into his black leather bag he'd sat beside it, he pulled out a file folder and the class roster. Time to get rid of the riffraff, he thought cheerfully.

"What's your name?" Jack demanded pointing to the boy behind Samantha.

"Me?"

"That's right. Your name, assuming you can muster the neurons to remember it," Jack replied sarcastically.

"D-D- Donald C-Carson." he stuttered.

"Congratulations!" Jack said airily. "D-D- Donald, you have the first failing grade. Now leave my class."

Everyone stared in disbelief at their instructor.

"I do not tolerate foul language, nor do I smile upon ill-treatment of the fairer sex. Now if that's clear, let's get started."

Jack walked around the class as Donald scurried out of the class. Opening his file folder, Jack placed a photo on each desk face down and went to the front of the class. He told them to turn their photos over and ordered them to stare at them for the next five minutes straight, no looking away or talking. The pictures were beyond gruesome, violent messes that screamed colorfully from the photos, there were even a few of Jack's own work mixed within. He purposefully gave one to Samantha, he couldn't wait to see what she made of it. One by one, man after man began to run for the bathroom or outside for air until Jack and Samantha were the only ones left.

"Well I think that went well."

Samantha looked up at Jack and smiled in a combination of admiration and amusement.

Jack looked at his Rolex and said, "Let's gather the photos up and grab an early lunch. I knew the moment I walked in here you were extraordinary and I need to learn everything about you."

Sam played nervously with her engagement ring for a minute and then nodded in agreement. Surely it was business related and would she really be so awful if she just had lunch with the handsome stranger. It wasn't like she was cheating on Tom, it was just lunch. Keep telling yourself that Sam, she thought to herself. As she looked into the dark depths of Jack's soulful eyes, she felt little jolts of electricity throughout her body. For the first time in her life, Samantha felt lust and it felt damn good.


	6. 6

Chapter 5

"So what is your opinion of the photo I gave you?" Jack asked Samantha after they were in a quiet corner of a cosy Italian restaurant and the waitress had taken their orders.

Samantha hesitated, she was so dazzled by her instructor and she didn't want to embarrass herself. Finally she replied, "I'm not sure what to say."

"This isn't a test my Samantha. Forget the psychobabble and techniques idiots have tried to thrust upon you. What do you think?" Jack pushed gently and pulled the photo out of the folder and handed it to her.

"The killer is very organized. The crime scene is very neat, he's very controlled."

"What else?"

"He took his time, Jack. I don't think it was his first kill and I think he took pleasure in it."

Jack smiled innocently as he asked, "What kind of pleasure did he derive from it? Was it sexual?"

"No," Sam shook her head. "His pleasure comes from power, from intelligence, from the pleasure of the-"

"The game," he offered helpfully.

"Exactly! His work is really quite amazing-" Samantha trailed off embarrassed. Then she mumbled, "Sorry. Tom says I get way too involved with "serial whackos" as he calls them."

"Tom, your fiancé I take it?" Jack grabbed Samantha's hand and examined her engagement ring.

"Yes. We're getting married in a couple months."

Jack remained silent for a moment as the waitress approached with a couple steaming plates of chicken and pesto sauce over penne pasta. The idea of Samantha getting married made him feel sick. A couple months wasn't long, but Jack was up to the task. If he could end a life, surely he could end an engagement.

"My dear Samantha, doesn't Tom understand how important profiling is to you? Forgive me if I'm overstepping my bounds, but it sounds as if he doesn't respect your studies," Jack said innocently.

"Tom thinks I should quit school and work as a bureau secretary until we start a family," she confided.

"Never!" Jack proclaimed and took her hand. "Promise me Samantha. Promise me that no matter what you'll pursue your dreams!"

Sam pulled back slightly, a little disturbed by her handsome teacher's outburst.

"Sorry, Samantha," Jack soothed. "I just think you have excellent instincts and a great deal of potential. I would hate to see your abilities go to waste."

Seeing Samantha relax slightly, Jack decided to gather more information. "So is Tom around Quantico at the moment?"

"No, he's on assignment and won't get back until a few days before the wedding. Dr. Steele-"

"Please Samantha, call me Jackson or Jack."

"Ok, Jack. I noticed something the other day that I would like your opinion on. Bailey Malone had a couple of us look at some files on unsolved cases and I think I noticed a pattern. Part of me says I must be wrong that if that were the case a seasoned agent would have noticed, but part of me-"

"Samantha, you need to be confident in your abilities. Don't doubt yourself. But if you like why don't we review the files together tonight over dinner at my place?" Jack suggested. "I only agreed to teach after they agreed to give me a furnished apartment off campus and it has a nice kitchen that I need to break in."

Samantha hesitated. She shouldn't. Lunch was one thing, but this was going to Jack's apartment at night. Tom wouldn't approve. A dozen good arguments flashed through her mind and flew away as Samantha nodded. "Just write down your address and I'll bring the Janice Fletcher file and the others."

A secret smile crossed Jack's lips when Samantha said Janice Fletcher's name. Could it be? Did his beautiful girl see his artistry? Looking across the table, she looked so serene, but underneath there was an undercurrent of violence. It was well concealed and maybe she wasn't ready to acknowledge that part of herself yet, but it was indelibly there. Jack pulled his wallet and threw some money on the table. Then circled around to hold out her chair.

Quietly the pair walked outside. Standing on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant, Jack took Samantha's chin in his hand and gently tilted her head back. Samantha stared into his dark eyes, her blue eyes wide with shock. He was going to kiss her she thought. I can't let him, I shouldn't. But her eyes closed involuntarily in anticipation. Softly he rubbed his thumb across her lips, his touch feather light and sensual. Sam opened her eyes in slight disappointment.

"Pesto sauce," Jack told her holding his thumb up.

For a second, Samantha blushed, then felt as if someone else were in control of her body as she took his hand in both of hers. Looking into his brown velvet eyes, Samantha took his thumb into her mouth. Never in her life had Samantha done anything so bold! For a moment she was afraid he was upset as he stared at her quietly his expression unreadable. With his free hand, he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a business card and handed it to her.

"I'll see you at seven my Samantha," Jack said softly taking her hand and pressing a kiss against her inner wrist, allowing his lips to linger for a moment at her pulse point. Then he bowed gallantly and disappeared...


	7. 7

Chapter 6

Samantha was trembling as she was pulling files. Bailey had given her permission to pull files to talk over with her instructor, though she hadn't mentioned she was taking them to his apartment. She knew she should cancel tonight, she knew it was wrong; but dear God it felt so right. When Jack's lips caressed her wrist, Sam's legs nearly turned to jelly. Tom's kisses had always seemed nice, but even their heaviest necking sessions hadn't made Sam feel like Jack had that afternoon. Gathering the files close to her, Samantha headed to her dorm room to begin deciding what to wear.

Samantha nervously ravaged her closet when she got to her room. Nothing seemed right. Item after item was rejected. Finally she settled on a dress that didn't seem too bad. Soft folds of creamy chiffon cascaded down from a halter neckline and whispered around her ankles. The gown was far more elaborate than she would ever normally wear to dinner at someone's house, but somehow it seemed right to wear to Jack's. A sash trimmed with an ivory chiffon rose cinched around her narrow waist and a pair of gold high-heeled sandals finished off her outfit. Sitting in front of the mirror she applied makeup and put of a spray of perfume.

Picking up her hair brush, Samantha brushed her hair out. It was longer than was fashionable, Tom repeatedly suggested that Sam get it cut to the shoulder length with teased bangs most female agents were sporting. Sam tried to put her hair up to make it look sophisticated but it kept slipping through the pins. Looking into the mirror, Sam felt awkward and she began to reach for the phone, maybe she could make up an excuse.

A knock at the door stopped Samantha mid-dial. Placing the phone down she went to the door, her hair spilling in her face. A crimson blush stole up her face as she opened the door to find Jack standing there, with a huge bouquet of roses in his hand.

"Jack!" she exclaimed.

"I felt it would be ungentlemanly to allow you to make your own way at this late hour," Jack smiled. Basking in the sight of Samantha he mentally added the set of pearls from among the family heirlooms in his safety deposit box to her outfit. The satin luster of the pearls and the diamonds that set them off would look stunning against his Samantha's creamy skin.

"Oh, well come in I just have to finish getting ready," she stumbled slightly back into the room and nervously looked around to check for any stray underwear. Gesturing at her bed, the only place to sit other than the chair at her desk/vanity, Sam said, "Please sit down."

"For you," Jack offered her the roses with a flourish. "Careful though, I left the thorns on them, they seemed to suit you that way."

"Thank you," Sam replied gingerly accepting Jack's offering. The roses were exquisite, full scarlet blooms crowned long graceful stems lush with green leaves. Samantha inhaled the perfume of the velvet flowers. She only had one vase and it was meant to accommodate the straggly clutches of carnations Tom gave her, not the huge bouquet Jack brought. Reluctantly, Sam consigned the roses to a tall plastic tumbler and filled it with water from a bottle she kept in her room.

Feeling guilty that she could offer no better treatment for his gift, Samantha told him, "I'm afraid this is the only thing I have that's big enough. They are so beautiful."

Jack smiled reassuringly at her and waved a dismissive hand as he lounged elegantly on the edge of her bed. "They pale in comparison to you."

Jack's compliment made Sam blush even harder and she sat down at her desk and drug her brush through her hair. It caught in a tangle and before she could stop herself, she cried out. Instantly, Jack was on his feet and at her side.

"Allow me," Jack told her softly and gently disentangled the offending brush. Then he slowly began to brush out Sam's hair.

As Jack took over, Samantha babbled slightly, "I usually can brush my hair, honestly. I just seem to be nervous tonight-"

Jack placed a gentle kiss on one of Samantha's bared shoulders. "It's my pleasure. Would that I could do this for you every night."

Jack stood back for a moment to admire his work then withdrew a folded knife from his trouser pocket. The knife blade was large and wicked looking when Jack opened it up. Plucking a blossom from the tumbler, he efficiently cut it down and placed it behind Samantha's ear. As he put the knife away, Samantha wondered briefly why he had it, but quickly forgot as he held out his hand to her, "Shall we?"

Samantha rose and allowed Jack to take the stack of files. As they left her room, he offered her his arm and lead her into the night. Samantha shivered slightly from Jack's nearness. He immediately stopped and insisted on draping his jacket around her shoulders. His jacket smelled faintly of tobacco, roses and sandalwood. Slowly they walked to the car in silence, basking in one anothers presence. When they reached Jack's shining white Cadillac, he held the door for her. Then he walked around, got in and let the engine roar to life. Cautiously, Jack reached for Samantha's hand as he drove into the night...


	8. 8

A/N Thank you Melanie Anne for your kind feedback. Reviews are greatly appreciated. If you enjoy this story, you might like my newest story, "A Holiday Affair"

Chapter 7

By the time Jack parked in front of an elegant Victorian house, Samantha was a bundle of nerves. She had been nervous and excited ever since agreeing to dinner tonight; but Jack's gallantry and gentle caress of her hand set her reeling. Desperately, Sam tried to conjure Tom's face in her mind. She cared a lot about him, he was one of the nicest boys she'd ever met. And that was the problem, she realized. Tom was a boy, but Jack- Jack was definitely a man, Samantha decided as she walked through the door he held open for her.

"May I?" Jack asked nodding at the files. Sam held them out to him and he set them on an ornate wooden table in the entrance hall. "Would you care for some wine?"

"Yes please."

"Make yourself at home, I'll be just a minute." Jack told her and gestured towards the living room.

Samantha walked quietly into the room and looked around. The wooden floor was polished to a high gloss and warmed with an enormous antique rug. From the velvet curtains to the gilded mirror over the fireplace, the room had a hushed opulence to it. Sam had seen rooms like this in magazines, but never in person. Cautiously she sat down, feeling shy and woefully unsophisticated in the luxurious surroundings. The awkwardness increased tenfold when she spotted a sparkling crystal vase overflowing with roses like Jack had given her earlier. The plastic tumbler she'd put his lovely gift in that had seemed lacking earlier, now seemed to be an outright insult. What must he think of me? Samantha wondered.

Jack entered the room with a freshly opened bottle of wine in one hand and two stemmed glasses in the other. He set the glasses down on the coffee table in front of Sam and began to pour. After he filled one, he handed it to her and then filled one for himself and sat down near her.

"I hope the wine will be to your liking," Jack said softly.

Samantha took a sip. It was so much nicer than the bottles of house wine Tom ordered when he took her out. "It's lovely but I don't know much about wine. What is it?"

"Just a nice little red wine to go with our dinner," Jack dismissed the bottle casually and began to focus on Samantha.

Under Jack's intense gaze Samantha blushed and moved to read the bottle, desperate to distract herself and regain control. Jack could probably seduce a woman with a single glance from those dark piercing eyes, she decided. Turning the bottle slightly, her breath caught, she didn't know much about wines, but she had a feeling it was expensive. The label read 'Chateau Margeux 1934.' Tom had told her repeatedly that spending more than $20 on a bottle of wine was ridiculous, apparently Jack didn't feel that way. Again feelings of inadequacy began to overwhelm her.

"Jack-" Samantha turned to him and trailed off as his hand came up and he traced his thumb across her lips.

"Yes?" he prompted gently.

"Is this awfully expensive?" she asked sitting her glass down.

Jack's eyebrow shot up, first in shock and then amusement as he realized the cause of his Samantha's distress. He leaned forward and caressed her cheek with his lips and whispered, "Don't distress yourself my Samantha. Money is hardly an object when courting a goddess."

Samantha turned from a a slight pink blush to a deep red. Nervously, she gulped her wine, cost forgotten in light of Jack's flattery. She had to leave, she needed to leave. Any excuses that this was for class and that Tom would understand were dissolving rapidly as Jack studied her and smiled.

"Sweet innocent Samantha," Jack purred and slowly drew her closer.

"Jack," she breathed hesitantly and looked up at him. He was going to kiss her and God help her, she wanted him to.

Gently Jack's lips brushed Samantha's. His lips were sweet from the wine as he gently caressed her mouth with his. Sam arched against him and brought her arms around him pulling him even closer. Slowly he began to tease her mouth with his velvet tongue which was proving to be as sensual in it's movements as it had earlier in words. Samantha became slightly light headed as Jack's mouth coaxed aroused whimpers from her. Reluctantly, Jack pulled his lips away from her.

"Dinner is nearly done," he explained, noting triumphantly the slight look of disappointment on her face when he stopped kissing her. He poured her another glass of wine before excusing himself to check on dinner.

Jack stopped in the kitchen and opened the door of the refrigerator and stood for several minutes in the chill of it. Since the age of fifteen, he had been with more women than he could count. Though all encounters had been pleasant enough, he never felt like he was losing control. Now, Jack stood trying to regain his composure from a simple kiss. Samantha was a virgin he was certain and while he would be happy to remedy that, he knew he had to wait. True he could conquer and seduce her physically tonight, but he wanted her to give him every part of her willingly. Samantha would belong to him in every respect, Jack wanted her heart, mind and soul. Body, he decided as he closed the door and began to place food in serving dishes, would have to wait.

After several trips of carrying the dishes outside, Jack lit the candles and was ready to fetch Samantha. He walked to the living room and smiled. "I thought we would dine al fresco in the rose garden tonight."

Samantha rose and mutely followed Jack. The evening had been overwhelming from the start and showed no signs of easing up. Tom had taken taken her on dates that included pizza and beer. Entering Jack's world was a whole new experience. As he lead her into the garden she stared at the dreamy sight of blazing candles and twinkling lights. Jack stood holding a chair out for her at the table, as soft strains of music came from an old fashioned phonograph. As she set down, Samantha inhaled the heady scent of the rose perfumed air.

Jack served her from a variety of dishes that filled a wrought iron tea cart he had drawn up to the table to use as a buffet. Rare roast beef was joined with new potatoes in dill sauce on her plate and exotic greens filled her salad plate before he finally served himself and joined her. Samantha took a bite feeling slightly uneasy as Jack studied her intently. Though she was used to her share of male attention, no man had ever made such a thorough study of her as Jack seemed to be. Noting Samantha's discomfort, Jack forced himself to start eating and to momentarily pull his eyes away from her face.

"This place is amazing Jack. I didn't know the bureau rented such nice places."

"They don't," Jack laughed. "I told them the type of place to find for me and paid for it out of pocket."

"Oh," Samantha replied, unsure of what to say.

Sensing her dilemma, Jack offered, "Samantha, I enjoy puzzles and that's what profiling is for me. I work for the bureau because it pleases me to do so. The truth is I don't have to work, I choose to."

Samantha considered what Jack told her. Although she could understand his reasoning, it made her wonder what his expectations were and what he was after. Did he make a habit of dazzling girls with his wealth and seducing them? Tonight was so perfect, was it merely a carefully choreographed routine? Looking across the table at Jack, Samantha dismissed those thoughts. Yes everything was romantic and sensual, but Jack would be seductive and have women pursuing him if he wore jeans and smelled of auto grease. Dinner continued with pleasant and flirtatious conversation that made Samantha wish the night would never end. Jack stood up and changed the record on the phonograph.

"Dance with me Samantha, " Jack commanded gently and held out his hand. "Dance with me under the stars."

She stood up and trembled slightly as Jack placed a hand around her waist. His touch was setting off tiny sparks of wicked pleasure and Samantha found herself melting into him as they began to dance.


	9. 9

Author's Notes: The Baccarat Vase in Eurydice is a genuine item if anyone is curious. Thanks to Robin, Melanie, Lady and SilverWolf47 for your reviews. Reviews are always appreciated.

Chapter 8

Samantha laid in bed with her eyes open for several hours after Jack escorted her home. After dancing and talking into the middle of the night, he drove her home and held her caressed her hand on the way back as he had on the way to his house earlier. Neither one wanted the evening to end, but Samantha had class and Jack would have to teach. He walked her to her door and took her hand in his, he turned it over and kissed her palm.

"You know we never did discuss those files," she told him. Samantha knew she shouldn't encourage him, but more than anything she wanted to be near him. In a moment of wicked inspiration she deliberately forgot them at his house.

"Perhaps we can discuss them another time-"

"Tomorrow?" she said hopefully, mentally kicking herself even as the word came out.

"It will have to be the next night, I have other plans tomorrow night," he replied with a gleam in his eyes.

"Oh, of- of course," Samantha stammered in embarrassment. It wasn't like he owed her undying loyalty or anything, but disappointment shot through her.

Smiling at her reaction, Jack informed her, "Tomorrow evening, I'm taking you out for dinner and then we're attending the opera."

Torn between outrage at his telling her rather than asking and glad that he wanted to be with her, she inquired coquettishly, "We are, are we?"

Taking her into his arms, he bent her back slightly and stated, "Yes we are." Before she could comment, Jack pressed his mouth to hers and drew her into a searing kiss that left her breathless. "Any objections Samantha?" he asked wickedly.

Unable to respond, she shook her head mutely.

"Good, see you in class," Jack winked at her and walked away.

Lying in bed she replayed the evening in her mind. Feelings of guilt about Tom tried to push their way into her mind, but she forced them away. Sam wasn't sure what was going to happen, but right now being with Jack was all that she cared about. When he kissed her and then when he'd held her as they danced, he'd made her feel amazing. The kiss he'd left her with had increased her arousal and left her aching. As she turned over and closed her eyes forcing herself to sleep, she wondered if he was thinking of her and feeling the same physical longing.

Samantha's dreams were decidedly erotic that evening, featuring Jack's mouth and hands exploring every inch of her body. Places that Tom had pleaded to touch in vain were given without hesitation to Jack and his sensual attentions. Just before her alarm was scheduled to go off, she woke up writhing against her bed, wanting and needy. Never had Samantha felt more frustrated or alive than she had since meeting Jack. As she got out of bed, Sam realized with a blush she would need a shower, between her date and her dreams her panties and upper thighs were soaked and the scent of sexual longing clung to her like a ripe promise.

After Sam showered in the dorm bathroom and returned in a white terry robe to her dorm room, she started to look over her wardrobe trying to decide what to wear today. As she searched for something acceptable for class, Samantha began to panic as it dawned on her she'd agreed to attend the opera with Jack and last night she'd worn her best dress for dinner at his house. After dressing, Sam opened her purse and rummaged through her checkbook and credit cards, the only thing she could do is go shopping and buy a dress for tonight. The money was ear marked for honeymoon clothing, but Tom and the wedding were pushed aside by thoughts of Jack.

A knock at the door disturbed Sam's thoughts and she got up from her desk to answer it.

"Miss Samantha Waters?" a strange young woman asked.

"Yes."

"A gentleman was waiting at the shop this morning and demanded we open early so he could purchase this and he paid extra for it to be delivered to you immediately," the girl informed her, handing Sam a beautifully wrapped box with a card attached.

"Thank you," Samantha mumbled and took the box into her room.

Carefully she sat the box down on her desk and opened the card, it read:

My Samantha,

The pattern is called Eurydice, I thought it appropriate

since I would willingly die and follow you into the underworld.

Yours Always,

Jack

Samantha sighed at the romantic note and laid it aside and opened the package. Inside the box read 'Baccarat' and as she opened it up, she withdrew an exquisite crystal vase. It was old fashioned and ornate, just the perfect size for Jack's roses she realized. A dreamy expression crossed her face as she realized he'd gotten up early and forced a shop to open early just she could have a vase for her roses. She was touched but slightly aghast as she remembered seeing the vase in a crystal shop when she registered, it carried a staggering price tag of more than a thousand dollars! Her engagement ring didn't cost that much!

Carefully she transferred the exquisite blossoms into the vase that was worthy of their stunning crimson beauty. Jack apparently did everything with style and romance, she thought running her fingers over the card again. She felt slightly foolish as she picked the card up and pressed it to her lips. Although she was reluctant to leave her lovely gift, Samantha was anxious to get her first class over with so she could sit in Jack's class.

"Samantha," a gentle voice called as she walked out of her dorm room.

"Jack!" Samantha exclaimed with delight as his lips brushed hers briefly.

"This is for you," he handed her a shiny stainless steel travel cup. "And I thought you might allow me to escort you to class."

"I'd like that. I got your present," she told him as they walked.

"I hope the humble offering of your Orpheus was acceptable."

Smiling at him, Sam replied, "I've never seen anything so beautiful in my life."

"Nor have I," Jack murmured looking at his Samantha and pulled her into his arms.

Samantha opened her mouth to his and when he pulled his lips away, confessed, "I dreamed about you last night."

"Did you my Samantha?" Jack asked searching her face and smiling when a blush colored her cheeks. "How did it make you feel?"

"Nice, but-" she trailed off too embarrassed to speak.

"Frustrated?" Jack supplied.

"How did you know?"

Kissing her again, he whispered, "Because I too had dreams my Samantha."

"You did?" Sam smiled shyly, pleased by the revelation.

"Indeed. Though I have ways of dealing with my frustrations that I suspect you're too innocent to know much about."

Confused, but intrigued, she inquired, "Could you show me how you deal with your frustrations?"

At that Jack laughed and kissed Samantha again...


	10. 10

Author's Note: Reviews are appreciated and inspiring :)

Chapter 10

Samantha tried vainly to focus on the lecture in her first class, but her thoughts were leaping to her next class when she would see Jack. In an effort to focus, she took a sip from the stainless steel travel mug he had given her before class. She was expecting to taste coffee or tea; instead she got a mouthful of decadent white chocolate hot chocolate that was rich and smooth on her tongue. Like everything Jack did it was out of the ordinary and perfectly done, even the temperature of the drink was just hot enough without burning her tongue. She pretended to take notes in between sips, but mostly just made flowery doodles and wrote Jack's name over and over.

When class was at last over, Sam was thrilled to see Jack waiting for her. He was lounging elegantly on a bench in his impractical ivory suit. As she walked over to him he rose to his feet and waited for her to sit down. When he sat down, she reached out and lightly caressed his stunning pale blue silk tie before she could stop herself. He smiled at her as he reached inside his jacket and brought out a silver cigarette case and offered her one before lighting one for himself. Sam wondered if there was anything Jack did that he didn't do with casual elegance and stylish grace as he flicked ashes from the glowing stick.

"Here," Samantha said, handing him the shiny silver mug.

"Empty," he observed as he put the mug beside his briefcase. "Did you enjoy it?"

"Very much, I can still taste it on my tongue."

Jack flung his cigarette away and turned to her. Out of the corner of his eye he scanned to make certain there were no prying eyes as he lowered his mouth to hers and probed her mouth with his tongue. "Mmmh I guess you can still taste it."

"Jack!" she exclaimed. Tom had never teased her the way Jack did. Sometimes he made bad sexual innuendoes, but nothing like Jack's subtle and arousing remarks.

"My Samantha," he sighed and kissed her once more. "So very innocent but so much delightful potential. One day my Samantha-"

"One day what?"

"One day, we'll have to continue this discussion," he kissed her lightly once more and stood up. "Time to be heading to class, the sooner class is over the sooner tonight comes when I can have you all to myself."

Samantha walked with Jack to the building where class was held although he had her walk into the classroom alone and waited a few minutes before entering the room. She took her seat and waited anxiously for Jack. After Jack walked in he started his lecture, despite her growing feelings for him, she found herself drawn into his lecture. He was an excellent instructor even if he was slightly contemptuous of the general student body. Jack handed out a list of required reading and assigned an essay on why they wanted to be a profiler which they were to begin writing immediately.

Momentarily, Samantha lost her concentration as she began her essay. She looked up to see Jack sitting on the desk studying her and also noticed the impressive bulge in his pants. Blushing furiously, Sam felt embarrassed pleasure at his reaction to her and enjoyed the very subtle wink he gave her before he rose and dismissed the class. She gathered her things slowly and reluctantly followed the others out, deciding she shouldn't linger like some of the other students were. Once outside, Sam sat down on a bench and pretended to read as she waited to see if Jack would approach her. Seeing Tom had always been nice enough, but Samantha found herself anxious to see Jack and unable to stop thinking about him.

Jack smiled as he crept up behind Samantha. He knew she would be waiting for him, so he took a back exit and looped around. For several moments he had observed her quietly enjoying her pretense of reading as she searched for him. His Samantha was supposed to marry another man, but he wouldn't rest until she was his. Women had always been pleasant distractions for him and nothing more; but from the moment he saw her, he wanted to make her his in every way possible. The glint of Tom's engagement ring caught his attention with distaste and he mentally replaced it with the more fitting ring he would place on Samantha's finger.

Despite her extreme innocence, there was a lot of potential that burned brightly within her wide blue eyes. Not merely potential as a lover, though he was quite pleased by her responsiveness. Cultured and introverted, she had no more use for the clowns and fools that surrounded them, than he did. From the first moment, Jack had marked Samantha a kindred spirit, but now he saw she would be a soulmate and they would complete one another. She would need patience and gentle teaching to fully blossom and understand her power and superiority. But in time, Jack had no doubt he could open her up to her darker nature, seeing her kill and killing with her would be as exciting as making love to her. A shiver of anticipation ran thorough Jack as he imagined combining the two acts and caressing her intimately as they created death.

Bending down, he kissed her neck and whispered, "I thought I would lose my mind being so close to you and not being able to touch you."

Samantha jumped in surprise and shyly agreed, "I feel the same way."

Pleased by her response, Jack leapt over the back of the bench to sit beside her, disregarding his elegant suit. He raised his hand and caressed her face with the back of his hand, then smiled as she turned her head and kissed his fingertips. "What are you doing until tonight?"

"Well I thought I might finish my essay for a certain handsome instructor," she teased.

"I think he won't mind if you skip it."

"Probably going to grab some lunch and go shopping." Softly she added, "I wore my best dress last night and need to get something for tonight."

Jack found her candor endearing and a plan formed in his head as he suggested, "Why don't I take you to lunch and then I could take you shopping?"

"Tom hates shopping," she replied thinking of his whining because she actually tried on a pair of jeans before buying them.

Jack grabbed her left hand, pulled off her engagement ring and put in her right palm. He took her now naked ring finger into his mouth and sucked on it, wickedly teasing her with every bit of expertise and experience he had. Once he made her breath quicken and she moaned, he removed his mouth from her hand and gave her a punishing kiss. Finally lifting his mouth from hers, pleased with her shocked expression, he informed her, "I not Tom."

"No, you're not." Samantha trembled and nodded. She looked down at her engagement ring in her right palm, uncertain of what to do with it. Finally she slipped her engagement ring onto her right hand, her left still tingling from Jack's mouth. "I need to stop at my room and get my checkbook and purse."

Jack stood and offered her his arm. Samantha took it as she rose and clung to him to steady herself. What exactly was going to happen with Jack, she wasn't certain, but she was certain life would never be the same again. Looking at Jack as she walked beside him, Samantha found herself wondering if she could ever go through with marrying Tom. In less than two days, Jack had turned her world upside down and instead of resenting it, she found herself craving more. Catching Samantha's gaze, Jack stopped and kissed her gently, then held her tightly against his chest.

"My Samantha," he sighed as she melted against him.

His Samantha, she thought contentedly...


	11. 11

Author's Note: If you follow my work, please check out my livejournal and give input on the name of the website. There are several choices as well as some insight into what will be on the site, please give me your thoughts. As always, I love feedback. You can find my livejournal at 

Chapter 11

When they had finally made their way across campus to her dormitory, Samantha asked him to come in while she looked for her purse. Jack smiled when he saw his roses in the vase he'd had delivered this morning. He sat on her bed as she rummaged around for her checkbook and stuffed it into her purse. As he sat on the bed, he was pleased to smell the scent of her arousal on the bed. Just as Sam was ready to go, she looked in horror as Jack's hand pressed down on the wet spot her dreams last night created. She turned nearly purple with humiliation.

Jack pulled her onto his lap to try and comfort her, but she turned her head away. Gently, he asked, "Samantha would you look at me?"

Reluctantly, she turned her face towards his, a few tears of embarrassment on her face as she looked at him. "What?"

"My darling Samantha, there's nothing to be embarrassed about," he assured her. "You told me earlier that you had dreamed about me."

"Telling you is one thing, this is-"

"Samantha, I'm about to do something very ungentlemanly which I hope you will forgive." Jack took her hand and placed it against his cock and let her feel his how hard he was. "This is what you do to me my Samantha. I'm not ashamed that you excite me and the fact I excite you pleases me tremendously."

"Really?" she asked, relaxing slightly as he reassured her. She was slightly distracted and fascinated feeling his erection through his pants, she'd never touched a man that way. Jack groaned and she felt him grow even harder under her hand, Sam felt curiously pleased.

"Samantha," he moaned. Pulling her hand from his lap, he gently kissed her palm. "I suppose we should be going before I completely forget myself."

She rose reluctantly, "All right."

Jack stood and picked up his briefcase as she reached for her purse. Running his hand through his hair, he gave her a smile as he struggled to collect his thoughts. Before he took his Samantha out tonight he was definitely going to have to relieve some tension or he'd be tempted to ravage her in the middle of the restaurant. Her innocence was no match for his experience and he could easily have her begging him to take her; but Jack wanted to seduce her slowly and teach her to play the game. There were hidden depths to her and he didn't want to take her until she was under no uncertain terms his and his alone.

Jack escorted Samantha to his car and drove far from Quantico and everything connected to the bureau. Pulling up in front of a small bistro that looked acceptable for lunch, Jack leaned over for a chaste kiss. He got out to open Samantha's door and held his hand out to her. Once inside they found an intimate booth and sat side by side. A quick perusal of the menus and a disgusted scan of the winelist by Jack and they were ready to order. The waiter took their order and earned a scowl from Jack when he ogled Samantha longer than he deemed acceptable.

"Jack, what are you doing?" she asked as he pulled a small notebook out from inside his jacket and scribbled on it.

"Just a quick note to kill the waiter later for leering at you."

Unaware Jack was perfectly serious, she laughed, "While you're at it, could I give you a couple other names to add to the list?"

"You have but to tell me. Your wish is my command."

The waiter came back to the table with glasses and a bottle of Zinfandel which he placed on the table before them. Jack noted with annoyance he left without waiting for approval of the bottle. After pouring the dubious vintage into a glass he handed it to Samantha and poured one for himself. He took a sip and was pleasantly surprised when she cupped his chin in her hand and licked a drop of wine from his lips. When she put her hand on his inner thigh he nearly dropped his glass. Pandora's box, he feared, had been opened and his Samantha was catching on very quickly. If Jack wanted to keep his plans on his schedule, he'd better regain control of the situation and quickly.

Relief flooded him when the waiter appeared with their salads and Samantha removed her hand from his leg. Time to find something safe and non-sexual to discuss, ah family, nothing like a mental dose of parental disapproval. Jack began to talk about his parents and demanded Samantha tell him about hers. The main course arrived without further incident and Jack felt more in control of his body and emotions. As they ate, she asked about Jack's career in the FBI and why he joined.

"To be honest I got involved in profiling and joined the FBI because I was desperate for a new challenge. I've trained a little in a lot of things and never had found anything which challenged me."

"I see, a regular Jack of all Trades, huh? Well you must be a master of at least a few things or you wouldn't be up for the director position in California when Lawson retires next year."

"To be honest Samantha, my position in the bureau is of little importance to me. That's not the position that concerns me."

Taking a sip of wine, she asked, "So what position does concern you?"

After she sat her glass down, Jack took Samantha's hand in his and kissed her wrist as he replied. "The position I'm going to occupy in your life."

"Oh," she breathed uncertain of what to say.

Jack pressed his lips to her mouth and kissed down her throat as he murmured, "I want to love you Samantha, if you'll let me. Being able to wake up beside you each morning and call you my own, that's the only position I care about."

"Oh Jack-" she sighed and surrendered to his kiss as he brought his lips to hers.

Caught up in each other's embrace, their mouths consumed one another greedily. There kissing continued until the waiter loudly cleared his throat and placed the bill on the table. Jack's dark eyes shot daggers at the interloper. That was the final straw he decided as he reached into his wallet for money, the waiter would die...


	12. 12

Chapter 12

As Jack was paying the bill he noticed the waiter sitting at a table obviously on break. He escorted Samantha outside and exclaimed suddenly, "Ooops! I forgot to leave a tip!"

Samantha watched Jack disappear back into the restaurant. Since he'd been irritated with the waiter, she was a little surprised to see him make the trip back in to leave the tip. She leaned against Jack's car and mentally began considering what sort of gown to buy for the opera. Rapidly her mind leapt from the opera to afterwards. Would Jack want to take her back to his place and for that matter should she let him? The sun caught Tom's ring on her right hand, sending a wave of guilt through her. It wasn't too late she tried to convince herself, she could back out of tonight and marry Tom and pretend none of this ever happened. But could she go through with marrying a man she thought of more as a friend when Jack made her burn?

Inside the restaurant, Jack sauntered up to the table where the waiter sat and told him pleasantly, "Forgot to leave a tip."

Then Jack placed a fifty dollar bill on the table to the server's surprise. As the waiter put the money away, Jack flipped the top of his omega ring up and carefully shook a tiny amount of white powder into the man's coffee. Then he walked out to rejoin his Samantha, closing the top of his ring again. Within eight hours the waiter would die agonizingly from ricin poisoning. Even if they did the autopsy at Quantico, there was little chance they would be able to detect it and would never link it to Jack. After holding the door of the car open for Samantha, Jack got his notebook out of his coat and crossed the server off his list.

"Ready to shop?" he inquired as he started the car.

Samantha nodded and Jack drove with his left hand, the fingers of his right lightly traced her knee. Aware of nothing but the delicious feelings Jack's touch was evoking. When he stopped the car and she looked up at the expensive store front, awareness came jolting back rudely. The store was notoriously expensive and she imagined that even the cheapest dress in the store would stretch her budget. Jack offered her his arm as he opened the car door and led her into the shop. Everything was lovely and everything was horribly expensive, just as she feared. There was one rather dowdy navy chiffon dress that was in her budget and Samantha decided she'd better try it on.

The second she was in the dressing room, Jack grabbed the manager of the store by the elbow with one hand and pressed his finger to his lips with the other. Samantha would never agree to let him buy her any clothing, but she didn't need to know who was paying. After he had the manager's attention, he reached into his wallet and pulled out his black American Express card. Instantly the woman came to attention as he spoke quietly so Samantha couldn't hear back in the fitting rooms.

"You will close the store, discretely so she isn't aware you've done so, tell her everything is being marked to clearance or that it turned out to be knockoffs and you have to sell them for next to nothing. I don't care what you tell her, as long as she believes it. Charge her between five and ten percent of the actual cost and put the remainder on my card plus another ten grand for the inconvenience."

"Yes, sir," she replied, palming the legendary card and locking the door to the shop. After depositing the card at the register. She walked through the shop picking up several gowns and making her way back to Samantha.

"See to it that she has shoes and such as well," Jack stopped the woman to interject. "And lingerie, silk I believe."

"Of course."

As the woman disappeared, Jack sat in an opulent wingback chair and began to patiently wait. His Samantha wouldn't have to worry about money for long, when he made her his, he could spoil her to his heart's content. Problem was, how to make her his. He could kill Tom, but that might distress her too much. Although somehow, Jack suspected he would have to eliminate Tom Waters eventually. There were some unpleasant rumors whispered about him when Samantha wasn't within hearing. If they were true, then the world would be well rid of Tom Waters.

Samantha reappeared at Jack's side with a dress over her arm and apologized. "Sorry it's taking so long. The manager told me they gotten a huge misshipment of fake designer dresses and that she was just getting ready to mark them down. So I'll need just a couple more minutes to decide on one."

Giving her a lazy smile, Jack assured her. "Take all the time you like my Samantha. I was just contemplating what to lecture on tomorrow, so there's no rush."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive my sweet. And might I suggest you buy several dresses if they're such a great deal?"

"I guess I could," Sam hesitated.

Jack pulled her and the dress she was holding into his lap and probed her mouth with his tongue gently. Lifting his face from hers, he informed her, "I think you should, because I have all manner of plans for you in the days to come."

"Oh really," she laughed and blushed as she considered what his plans might be.

Jack released Samantha from his embrace so she could finish her shopping. Once she returned to the fitting rooms, he stood up and walked through the store, trying to will his erection away. He'd barely succeeded in doing so when he stumbled into the lingerie department. As visions of Samantha in the scraps of lace imagination filled his mind, the ache in his groin returned rapidly. Reaching into his jacket he brought out his silver cigarette case and lit a cigarette.

Just as he exhaled Samantha and the store manager came from the fitting room area with dresses over their arms. The manager looked disapprovingly at Jack's cigarette, but he merely shrugged and took another puff. A few minutes later, the woman had Sam at the resister with shoes and lingerie added to the pile. Once the items were paid for, the woman discretely slid Jack's card into his hand as she handed him a bag to carry out to the car. Jack's trunk filled with Samantha's purchases, they headed for her dorm room at Quantico.

Laden with bags, the pair made their way up to Samantha's room. As she was unlocking her door they were interrupted.

"Sam. What's going on?" Bailey Malone asked.

"Bailey? What are you doing here?" Sam countered.

"I had to speak with a student down the hall and I just spotted you. What's with all the bags and what are you doing with Dr. Steele?"

"Seems my lovely student was purchasing clothing for her honeymoon and it would have been ungentlemanly to not offer to help a lady with her packages," Jack lied smoothly.

"I see," Bailey replied unconvinced. Jackson Steele irritated Malone. Although he'd always been polite to him, it was annoying to see the younger man promoted rapidly beyond himself. It was rumored the younger man was on the fast track for the director's position of California. No, he definitely didn't like Jackson and he wasn't certain he liked the way his protégé was looking at the guest instructor. Bailey had taken a special interest in Sam and he didn't like the idea of her taking an interest in Dr. Steele.

"If you don't mind, these bags are getting heavy," Samantha said and opened her door. When Bailey didn't budge, she took the bags inside and allowed Jack to hand her the remaining bags. Malone studied her intently and glanced into her room. Longingly she looked at Jack, wishing she could kiss him, but knew she couldn't in front of her mentor. "I'll see you around Bailey. Thank you for your help Jack.:

Fighting the urge to snap Malone's neck, Jack smiled reassuringly. "The pleasure was mine." Then he bowed slightly and finished, "Until next we meet, Samantha."

"What the hell do you think you're doing Steele? They may think you're the golden boy in California, but here at Quantico things are different. Fraternizing with the student body isn't smiled on."

"Funny, since you separated from you lovely wife I'd heard rumors of you doing exactly that. What the matter Malone? Didn't your little chat go as expected?"

Bailey said emphatically, "Nice roses SAMANTHA has JACK. Her fiancé left on assignment over a week ago so I doubt they're from him."

Wickedly, Jack smiled, "What makes you say that?"

"Tom is in South America right now. I seriously doubt he managed to find the time to send flowers while on assignment. No agent would waste his time on a job to send roses."

"I would," Jack told him and walked away...


	13. Chapter 13

Author's Notes: It's been a while but I haven't forgotten any of my stories. The next chapter of Trial is already underway and in the next couple weeks it will be on my website High Risk Romance with artwork. Reviews are appreciated and make me write faster.

Chapter 13

Studying her reflection anxiously, Samantha put the finishing touches on her upswept hair. She wanted to look perfect for her evening with Jack and he would arrive to pick her up any moment. Although she loved opera and watched it on television many times, Sam had never seen one in person. Excited as she was about seeing the opera, she was even more excited about seeing Jack. She'd never felt so anxious to see Tom, she realized.

Tom, Samantha thought with a sigh. Her fiancé was everything she should want, he cared about her and wanted to marry her. But since meeting Jackson Steele, Tom seemed very distant. Every moment in Jack's presence she felt almost electric, it was like she was more alive than she'd ever felt before. Tom's kisses were nice but Jack's- Jack's kisses made her feel giddy and made Samantha feel aware for the first time of her sexuality.

Whenever she thought of her wedding night, she felt uneasy about the idea of Tom caressing her intimately. Yet the idea of Jack touching her that way, made her breath quicken and her breasts feel heavy and sensitive. She didn't know much about her own sexuality but Sam knew she wanted Jack and that he wanted her. Unbidden the memory of the sensation of touching him through his pants earlier came to mind and made her blush and her nipples throb.

Pulling her thoughts back to the task at hand, Samantha finished getting ready and waited anxiously for Jack to arrive. Taking a look at herself in the mirror, her eyes wandered to Jack's roses. They looked perfect in the vase he'd given her and the sweet entreaty of his note had made her accept the outrageously priced gift. The gift was much like it's owner, refined and romantic, but sparkling with hidden depths some of which were velvety soft like the roses and others as sharp and dangerous as the thorns that adorned them.

A knock at the door, brought her attention from the roses and Samantha opened it to greet Jack shyly, "Hi."

"Samantha," Jack purred and took her hand in his. After kissing her hand, he brought his other hand from behind his back to offer he a single red rose. "You are beyond beautiful tonight. You're a goddess."

Taking the rose he flourished, Sam turned bright red as she thanked him and commented, "You don't have to bring me roses every day."

Stepping into the room, to place the rose in the vase, she gestured for him to enter. Once she added the blossom to the vase, Jack pulled her against him. Meeting his gaze Samantha wrapped her arms around his neck and eagerly met his lips. The kiss was short but intense.

Against her mouth, Jack vowed, "When you're mine, I'll give you roses every day."

Then he moved away and held out his arm to escort her out of the dorm room. As Jack lead Samantha from the room, three thoughts swirled in her head. The first was that she didn't really want to go, staying in Jack's arms was preferable. Secondly, she realized he said _when_ not _if_. And finally Sam became aware that being in his arms and his decisiveness about them being together was nowhere near as disturbing as it should be.

Neither of them spoke as Jack escorted her to his car and held the door. When Jack got in and started the car, Sam looked at Jack and then looked downwards. She wanted to touch him but felt nervous. Noting Samantha's unease, Jack opened his right arm invitingly and was rewarded with a smile as she slid against him. Driving, Jack considered how to handle the evening. His innocent Samantha liked being near him and he was happy to oblige but the dilemma was how far did he dare to take things?

Jack navigated the streets leaving Quantico behind them and headed to the restaurant he'd selected. When he pulled up in front of the restaurant and opened Samantha's door she seemed surprised when he handed the keys off to a valet. His Samantha might not be used to the finer things in life, but she had natural grace and a keen mind, there was no doubt in Jack's mind that she would fit into his world beautifully.

As the valet parked the car, Samantha whispered, "I've never been to a place with valet parking before. Do I look all right?"

Pausing Jack took her hand and turned it over in his, placing a kiss on the inside of her wrist he assured her, "My Samantha you are perfect. Whether you have on a gown like tonight or one of those dreadful suits female agents wear, you are always a lady of class and beauty."

His compliment made her blush and the sensation of his lips on her pulse did nothing for her peace of mind. From his perfectly fitted tux to the scent of his cologne, everything about Jack whispered sophistication. Despite her fancy new dress, Sam felt woefully awkward and in the back of her mind she fretted. Jack had the suaveness of Cary Grant and she felt a little girl playing dress up. As Jack gave his name to the maitre'd he noticed Samantha's discomfiture and placed his arm gently around her waist.

The table was a large velvet booth which curved around a circular table and Jack moved closer to Samantha than he normally would have and whispered in her ear, "You have nothing to be afraid of my Samantha. The only difference between the people here and the people at the place where we had lunch near Quantico on the day we met, is the people here have more money and the people there have more intelligence."

Relaxing slightly, a new feeling of tension coursed through her as Jack's hand rested momentarily on her thigh. The feeling of his brief touch seemed to snake through her entire body and she wanted- What did she want? Sam wondered. She knew about sex but somehow the clinical diagrams in the book she'd read and the feelings Jack was eliciting were oceans apart. There was Tom and her career to think of, Samantha chided herself. But gazing at Jack over the menu and having his dark eyes meet hers, the world seemed to fall away and he was all that mattered.

A waiter appeared at their table and asked if they would like any wine with dinner. Scarcely acknowledging the man Jack ordered a name she'd only read about in a vintage before either one of them were born. When the man left, Jack gently brought his fingers under her chin and closed the distance between their mouths for a moment. Moments after their kiss ended their waiter reappeared with wine and asked if Jack would like to inspect it, Jack made quick work of sniffing the offered cork and taking a quick sip.

The waiter poured for Sam and then for Jack and inquired, "Should you like to order now or would you and the lady prefer to wait?"

Samantha blinked and realized she'd scarcely looked at the menu, all her attention had been on Jack. He flicked her an inquisitive look and she stammered, "Maybe you could order for both of us."

"Of course," Jack agreed. Handing the waiter the menus, he proceeded to order chicken vol au vent. When the waiter left, he explained, "I thought chicken was a better choice than the lobster because no matter how many lessons I ever had, I still loathe attempting to eat it in public."

"Lessons in eating lobster?" she drawled. If it were any other man she would have assumed the choice had to do with the check but the wine Jack had selected was so expensive she doubted he cared about the cost of the entree.

"Requirement in every finishing school," Jack replied. Then he confided, "After my roommate at my last school had the great seafood debacle and tried to blame me, I've feared crustaceans."

Sam began to giggle at the idea of Jack being intimidated by seafood and laughed, "You're pulling my leg."

"I'm perfectly serious. There we were two hundred of us in one room, a glorified prison for the children of the elite and we were being graded on table manners. As the instructors went up and down the rows of tables, Edwin's speared his lobster tail with a salad fork and it flew off the table and right into the cleavage of the head master's wife," Jack recounted.

"What happened?" Samantha demanded in rapt attention.

"Edwin reaches over to my plate and grabs my lobster tail onto his plate and I got expelled," Jack told her.

Her face went from amusement to displeasure as she repeated, "He got you expelled."

"Well," he hesitated. Giving her a slightly sheepish look, "It may have had something to do with my replacing the caviar with miniature blueberries at the trustees meeting the day before. As I blamed Edwin for the lobster, he revealed about my part in the caviar incident."

"That's a bit better. So what happened afterwards?"

"Edwin's father lost everything on some bad investments and he's the sheriff in a small town in California. Fitting but I suspect it's a bit of a reach for him, he wasn't very bright," Jack informed her. "His last name was Boast but everyone used to deliberately mispronounce it as Post and make jokes about he was as dumb as a post."

"Well getting you into trouble I can't say I feel to sorry for Ed," Sam interjected. "What happened to you?"

"Oh a bit of time at Savannah Medical College and some Psych at Oxford, then the FBI, which it seems to be the best decision I ever made."

"Why is it the best decision you ever made?" she asked. Lately Tom had been disparaging her choice to join the FBI and maybe Jack had insight.

All amusement left Jack's face and his eyes had a fierce intensity as he answered, "Because it lead me to you."

The rawness and depth of his statement shook her to the core and left her breathless. With an uncustomary boldness, she initiated a kiss between them. As their kiss ended, Samantha whispered in a husky voice she barely recognized as her own, "This isn't just a harmless flirtation, is it?"

"No, my Samantha. This is something far more serious."

"What?" she breathed softly.

"Love," Jack replied and drew her tightly against him, nuzzling her gently.

Locked in a tight embrace with their foreheads resting against one another, neither moved or spoke for many minutes...


End file.
